Can You Feel it Licking at Your Door?
by blackholeofexistence
Summary: Snow litters the ground around the Capitol Wasteland, turning it into a beautiful mess. What might everyone think of this unexpected change?


**Chapter One**

_A white substance littered the ground, falling from the sky in big, cold flakes. Snow - something the Wasteland hasn't seen in years. And yet, here it was, falling amongst the fallen and broken debris of what used to be Washington, D.C. Forcing back the Super Mutants into the dark, warm corners of the substations and buildings, leaving what seemed to be a quiet, quiet peace for the Brotherhood, Caravaners and the odd Wastelander or two. For now._

* * *

The sound of my footsteps were the only sound to be heard in the subway tunnels for the seventh night in a row. I had been trying to find the way to Underworld, but only ended up lost, explaining the reason why I'm still even in the tunnels. The isolation and lack of fresh air leaves me uncomfortable, reminding me of the 18 years and 11 months I spent in that godforsaken Vault. But at least in the Vault they were humans and light, unlike here, where the tunnels and exits were lined with extreme darkness, and feral ghouls roamed freely about as they pleased. Not once have I stumbled across something that looked remotely human, only dead corpses of_(of course_)ferals. Obviously someone woke up on the wrong side of the ugly and decided to take it out them. _Poor bastards,_ I thought to myself.

It makes you wonder, though, who they were before they turned feral. _Were they like Gob and the ghouls he talks about that live in Underworld? Were they human, and just got a bad dose of radiation? Did they ever have a family? How old were they? Were they pretty? What color of eyes did they have? _

Who knew? Certainly not me.

But you can always wonder. Which I find myself doing a lot, lately. Ever since I left Megaton. I wonder what'll happen if I run out of jet and med-x, if I lose my lighter, whether or not I'll even get my bloody ass to Underworld for Gob. For all I know, a pack of ferals could gang up on me while I'm sleeping and think I'd make a good meal.

Hell, maybe I'll run into a Super Mutant and he'll finish me off instead. At least he wouldn't eat me, I don't think. You never know in the Wasteland, especially when some of the animals are now looking to be scarce.

Oh, add that to the growing list of things I keep wondering about.

* * *

_Jagger and Arrow sat on top of the old museum, sharing a few rounds of shots as they watched some clouds roll their way in. The shouts from below didn't really bother them, knowing it was only the neighboring Super Mutants having another quarrel with the Brotherhood of Steel. _It just never ends, _the two of them think when gunshots blare out, and the clinking of metal flows its way up to them. _

_Jagger watched Arrow peel off a thick layer of decaying skin, grimacing. "Sure is taking a while to change." His voice dryly rang out into the piercing cold air. Arrow nodded, "Yeah, I know. I wish it'd hurry up already. I can't sleep a wink without itching cause of the damn shedding skin." They both laughed and Jagger shook his head. Remembering bleakly how his change went a few years back with his old buddy, Gob. _

_The trouble they got into when it happened..._

_He remembered it like it was yesterday and it could have well have. They were both around 20, Jagger a year or so younger than Gob. The whole reason it started was because some fuck-up raiders thought it'd be funny to drown some victims in radiation on a horribly hot day, and the two boys just happened to be the victims. _

_The sun was beating down like the fires of hell and the two were at a nearby lake out in the Wastes. They had recently finished doing farm work for their folks down at the brahmin ranch, and wanted to go take a nice soak, when they got jumped. Some raiders decided to move into the nearby waste disposal, when they saw the boys strolling peacefully to the little lake. Course, they didn't like peace and broke it up quickly. _

_A man named Jace had a few guys tie them to a wall for a few hours, and they examined them, pondering on what their fate should be, when his girly suggested radiation waste, since it was right there. Jace was estatic, arranging it right away, even showing his enthusiasm by digging the hooks into Jagger and Gobs wrists himself. Screams from the males echoed into the distance, but not distant enough, the only things that came to investigate were molerats, and immediately they were killed, and got prepared to roast. And as the day grew on, it got hotter and hotter, making the heat almost unbearable as they were thrown into the waste, the hooks in their shoulders and wrists the only things making sure they could be pulled out after. _

_And so, for a day and a half, the raiders watched as the two struggled in the large puddles of radiation, consternation flooding all the feelings they knew. A few times they almost drowned. _

_It ended after they were dragged out by the hooks, only to see it wasn't the raiders, but some Brotherhood outcasts, and soon were sent on their way. Having a godforsaken way of changing over, they strugged when trying to get to Underworld, but finally made it. After that, they continued to change, but had people there for them. But Jagger had a god awful time when Gob was taken.._

* * *

The ferals head expolded into a bloody mess in front of me as I fired off one last shot, splattering me with a mucky colored red. _Was it always that mucky looking? I don't think so. _My head pounded in my skull as I slowly limped my way up the ramp to the exit of the substation, to what I hope is the Mall, the inbetween of all the prewar important whateverthefuck. Like I care, I just wanna get the fuck out of here. The dark is killing me, and I think I might turn feral myself if I don't see actual light.

I shove open the steel gate, pressing it out of my way as light flooded down on me, but it wasn't the normal burning yellow, it was a cold grey, the color I knew that promised rain. My lips softly glided down into a frown as I pushed the gate back closed and locked it again for the next person. I peered up, and slowly walked forward, cautiously having my gun at the ready, but I only came face to face with a ghoul, who strangly looked pretty in the grey light.

"Why hello, Smoothskin. You're awfully far away from your kind. What brings you here? Certainly you know Super Mutants are just right there, don't you?" Her voice was hoarse, yet it had a bouncy sound to it. I smiled, nodding at her and explained why I was here. Immediately she was shoving me to the door of the museum, smiling.

_I think I could grow to like her._

* * *

**The Ninth Circle was seeming to be empty at the moment, only the odd Jet addict in the corners remained. Quinn had returned, bringing back promises he made and kept for others. It gave Charon a pang of jealousy, knowing that Quinn was able to wander the Wastes by himself, not bound to a contract like he was. **

**Not bound to Ahzrukual. **

**He could hear the distant chatter coming from downstairs, through the door and walls. It made him grind his teeth as he stared at the far wall like he usually did, outlining the stains and old wallpaper with distant eyes, distant eyes that brought him back to when he was outside of the museums walls, where he could have been considered "free". **

**Last time he was outside, it was because Ahzrukal wanted someone to be "taken care of". Of course, he had to do it, his contract forced him to, whether he wanted to or not. It was some guy who owed the damn bastard money, yet again. He found lots of people owed his employer money, if not, then it was their lives. What could you expect, though? It's the Capitol Wasteland, some hardy shit is happening all the time, if not soon enough. Charon seemed to be not involved, though, which was more aggrovating than a sack of shit. **

**The sudden opening of the door broke Charon from his thoughts, and he turned his head to see a Smoothskin. He perked up, wondering what one was doing this far into D.C. Until he heard her mutter to herself, four words that made him become agitated. **

_**"Jagger isn't in here..."**_

* * *

_The sun was starting to set, and the outside lights of the museum turned on, lighting up the entrance like it was Christmas. It was only early November, late October, and the two ghouls; Jagger and Arrow, could feel the increasing change of temperature. Usually, it's scorching hot, but not this year. The temperature was dropping, and fast. The clouds hung overhead, making the air smell of rain. Rain didn't come, but a white substance that melted at the contact of skin, or lack of skin in this case, fluttered from the now night sky._

_It glittered in the light, casting weird shadows around when it fell before them. Jagger and Arrow were mesmerized, perplexed by this white stuff. It left a tingle on their remaining flesh and exposed muscle, a weird sensation they never really experienced. It held their attention until the door at their back opened, the Smoothskin stepping out and gasping. The white substance quickly caught her attenion, as did the cold, making her shiver._

_"Snow." She breathed out, watching as her hot breath mingled with cold air._

_"...Snow..?" Arrow repeated in a confused voice. His attenion and gaze now turned to the girl, the Smoothskin. His eyes found hers, peering into them for answers, and she nodded, twitching a smile. "Yes, snow," she replied as the snow fluttered down around them, "They had it before the war, when the planet would change season. I read about it in a book when I lived in a Vault. It was probably the most interesting book I found in the fuckin' shithole." _

_Jagger coughed a laugh as he rose to his feet, making his way to the Smoothskin and embraced her in a tight hug, grinning. "Been awhile since I last saw you. How's Gob?" His eyes scanned her face, taking in the beauty he used to see everywhere when he was human. She backed up back into the doorway, answering briefly, "I'll tell you once we're inside and tell everyone about the snow."_

_With that, her small structure disappeared down flights of stairs._


End file.
